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The New Year: A Clean Slate

Year-end messages customarily end on an inspirational note. They are meant to motivate us as we sprint towards the final days of the year. They help set the course for our future and what countless deem a clean slate. But this year in particular it’s difficult to have a rich, collective message.

This past year numerous people toiled for steady footing in a unsteady economy. Many considered triumph maintaining employment, steering clear of foreclosure, working creatively to avoid laying-off more of the team, or balancing the see-saw between guilt and joy because they were a lay-off survivor.

The past is the past, and the future has not been written. Now is the time for all of us to reach out to those in need, regain and rebuild trust in others, and find a way past our fears. We can only begin to architect our lives, our teams, and our organizations if we can imagine the possibilities. Let us collectively learn from the past year and start constructing our future today.

Do not assume your neighbor can not help you.

Network with others as much as you can.

Reassess what is important to you.

Share your thoughts and ideas with others who can help.

Call your clients.

Offer an ear.

Don’t let the macro determine your micro.

Remember some of the greatest ideas, businesses, and feats have come from hard times and those in adversity.

Say goodbye to 2009. And with a big bang, so you may be heard, declare “HELLO” to 2010. All of my best to you and yours. May the best of your past be the worst of your future!